Hot Gadget Hacks Posts
Nintendo Switch: How to Use the Nintendo Switch Online App to Play Splatoon 2 with Friends
So, Nintendo's never really been good at the whole online thing. Most of the time, we forgive them, because they are masters at creating games meant for solo play or local multiplayer. Sometimes, though, that doesn't fly. Take a game like Splatoon, for instance. Although it redefines the genre, it is still, at its core, a shooter. Shooters are meant to be played online, with your friends, yelling at each other over voice chat.
Super Mario Run 101: How to Unlock Luigi, Yoshi, Toadette & Princess Peach
One of the best features in Super Mario Run is the ability to unlock other notable characters from the classic series on iPhone or Android. Each playable character in Super Mario Run has a slightly different skill set — be it speed or jumping — which can come in handy in certain maps or races.
Apple AR: Directive Games Teases AR Battle Arena Game for ARKit
It's safe to say that mobile developers are excited about the prospects of Apple's ARKit, with demos popping up seemingly on the hour on YouTube, Twitter, etc.
Hulu 101: How to Customize Captions & Subtitles on Your Phone
We use subtitles when we can't understand what's being spoken on screen, but most of the time it seems like those subtitles are out of our control. Maybe we find them too small, or even too large. Maybe the color is too faint, or the background too distracting. If only we could change the subtitles to reflect our own needs and styles ...
How To: Repost Tracks to Populate Your Profile Stream on SoundCloud
SoundCloud is a great place to gather all your different tastes in music and display them as representations of who you are. You can display things like your own tracks, albums, manually-curated playlists, liked tracks and playlists, and reposted content all from within your profile page.
How To: Get Spotify, Pandora & Other App Controls in Waze to Stop Switching Between Audio & Maps
Who doesn't love listening to music or playlists when driving? The open road and an awesome playlist make for a perfect pairing, but it can become quite the challenge if you're trying to navigate at the same time. That's why Waze's built-in audio controls for compatible apps like Spotify and Pandora are so useful, so you can always keep your eyes on the map and road ahead of you.
Dev Report: Verto Studio 3D for VR Is Done, Now You Can Build 3D Models in HoloLens or VR
Verto Studio 3D is a 3D modeling package that has been in the works for a while now by Michael Farrell, the owner of Verto Studio LLC. Farrell has been working toward bridging the gap between XR 3D modeling and what we have become accustomed to with desktop 3D modeling packages like 3D Studio Max, Maya, and Blender.
Super Mario Run 101: Performing Basic Jumps
As a side scrolling game, performing various jumps in Super Mario Run on your iPhone or Android is as vital as eggs in a breakfast buffet.
News: AR-Enabled Moon Model Shoots Past Crowdfunding Goal
San Francisco-based startup AstroReality is putting the AR in lunar with a high-detailed model of the moon that comes to life through an accompanying augmented reality mobile app.
News: HoloLens Challenge #16 Winner Brings the Cowbell
James Ashley, Atlanta-based Microsoft MVP and author of Beginning Kinect Programming with Microsoft Kinect, has been running monthly challenges since around the release of the HoloLens Developers Kits. Each month, those of us who follow what happens in the community can look forward to seeing what creative ideas come out of these challenges. It has been a treat, to say the least, and who knows ... maybe one of us here at Next Reality even won one of these before his time here.
News: uSens Introduces Markerless Tracking for Mobile Apps
With mobile developers near and far primed to implement augmented reality into their iOS apps with Apple's ARKit, uSens offers them a new tool for markerless location tracking.
News: Lenovo Previews Augmented Reality Concepts at Tech World Conference
Artificial intelligence and augmented reality go together like spaghetti and meatballs, and Lenovo has some ideas on how to spice up the recipe.
News: Robbers in NYC Are Using Facebook to Steal Yeezys
If you live in New York City and are itching to sell your Yeezys, you're at risk of falling victim to thieves. A devious duo is searching Facebook to find people selling the popular sneakers and then robbing them at gunpoint when they meet up in person.
Apple AR: Watch This Phone Levitate Before Your Eyes
Sometimes the demos for Apple's ARKit are so good that it almost looks like magic. A recent demo, in particular, shows exactly what kind of magic tricks you can perform using the ARKit.
News: Your Favorite Paintings Are Getting a 2017 AR Update at Ontario Gallery
If you've ever wanted to see a selfie stick in centuries old works of art, now's your chance. The Art Gallery of Ontario is launching an exhibit called "ReBlink." The exhibit uses augmented reality to give modern updates to their paintings which visitors can see through their smartphones or tablets.
How To: Easily Find the Perfect SoundCloud Playlist to Make Your Event More Memorable
Within the last week, there have been at least three times when someone asked me to play a good playlist. This is always a tough call. What if I play something that nobody likes? I probably will.
Brief Reality: Augmented Reality Applied to Makeup, Medical & Sports Marketing
If it's not official by now, it really should be: if you're going to sell cosmetics, you need an augmented reality app. Of course, that's not all augmented reality is good for. It can be used to animate medical models and engage sports fans. Read on below…
Apple AR: 5th Wall Agency Creates Portal to Step into Sports Games
Things are getting more and more interdimensional thanks to Apple's ARKit. We've previously seen some portals work at play with Rainforest Garage and the Interdimensional Portal by Nedd. These demos have only made developers more curious as to what they can do with ARKit portals.
News: This Group Is Backing Up SoundCloud Content in Case It Shuts Down
After laying off 40% of its staff this month to cut costs, SoundCloud appears to be struggling to stay afloat. While blog posts from the company have assured fans that the music platform is not in danger of shutting down, some people aren't so sure this is the truth. Internet Archive — a non-profit dedicated to preserving websites and services — announced today that they will be conducting a partial backup of SoundCloud to safeguard the site's content in case of closure.
Hulu 101: How to Add HBO to Your Hulu Subscription
What's better than having access to Hulu's entire catalog on any device you wish? Having HBO's as well, obviously. Hulu recently began offering subscribers the option to either subscribe to HBO through their Hulu account, or to link a prior HBO subscription to their Hulu account. It's just one way to make binge-watching a little more convenient for you and your fellow Targaryens — the Starks can join, too.
News: Add Eye Tracking to Your Existing Mixed Reality Devices with Pupil Labs
Germany-based Pupil Labs has jumped into the UX and control deep-end with a range of products that allow the user to add eye tracking to not only their existing augmented and virtual reality head-mounted displays but computers as well. This type of technology can add a new depth to the way we control devices.
News: Blippar Brings Facial Recognition AR Profiles to Mobile App
Mobile augmented reality developer Blippar has updated its mobile app for iOS and Android with an augmented reality face profiles feature based on the company's real-time facial recognition engine.
News: Game Dev Superstar Leaves Windows Mixed Reality Team to Return as GM of Bioware
Casey Hudson, the one-time project director for games like Star Wars: The Knights of the Old Republic and the original Mass Effect trilogy, has announced his return to his former home, Bioware as the General Manager. Of course, that also means he is leaving his role at Microsoft Studios as Creative Director, where he was reportedly working on both Xbox One and HoloLens projects.
News: HoloLens Assists in Live Surgery
Numerous examples exist of doctors and surgeons using HoloLens to plan surgeries. The device has even been used to view reference images during a procedure and stream it to a remote audience. Until recently, it has not been used to augment the surgeon's view of the patient during a live surgery.
SoundCloud 101: Manage Your Notifications for a Better User Experience
It's never fun when you install an app and then proceed to be bombarded with constant notifications. The SoundCloud app, while great in other regards, tends to have a bit of an issue on this front.
News: A Really Cheap Augmented Reality Headset Is Coming Soon
Mira Reality unveiled the Mira Prism yesterday and people immediately got excited about it. The Mira Prism uses no electronics besides your iPhone and it works pretty simply. You have a semi-transparent screen in front of your face. Once you open the Mira app on your phone, you just slide it into the Prism and your screen will be reflected across your vision. The Prism seems to be fairly similar to the HoloLens and Google Glass.
News: No Wallet, No Problem! Now Pay for Parking with Your Phone in NYC
Paying for street parking in New York City just got so much easier. Instead of searching for loose change or hoping you didn't forget your wallet, you can use a device you always have with you: your phone.
Spotify 101: How to Make Your Music Sound Better by Using an Equalizer
You may not know this, but the Spotify app will let you add a bit of personal touch to all the music you stream. Unlike many other music streaming services, Spotify actually has fantastic equalizer support on both iOS and Android.
Apple AR: Play Beer Pong Anytime with Augmented Reality Game
Beer pong is a classic game created by college kids to drink and have a good time. However, the process of setting it up is messy and takes a while. Luckily, a demo has introduced an app coming soon where you can play an augmented reality version of beer pong using Apple's ARKit.
Apple AR: Demo Shows How Augmented Reality Will Make Advertising More Immersive
Companies are already clamoring to figure out strategies for integrating augmented reality into their advertising platforms. AR is going to become a huge asset to marketers, and Apple's ARKit is only going to help that along. Mixed reality producer Bilawal Singh Sidhu has given us a sneak peek of what the world of advertising could be with the ARKit.
Apple AR: Animated Charts Will Make Your Business Meetings More Engaging
It's certain that the release of Apple's ARKit is going to be game changing for businesses. This demo video was created by YouTube user hdsenevi who used the ARKit to create a simple bar chart. The chart has adjustable settings, allowing the user to make each bar larger or smaller and change their colors. Not only that, but there is an "animate" option.
VLC 101: How to Enable Android TV's Interface on the Phone Version of VLC
When it comes to playing videos from your personal media library, VLC is hard to beat. But let's say you want to play videos from an Android device by connecting it to your TV — what app should you use then? VLC is still the answer, particularly once you've enabled its TV-friendly UI.
How To: Disable Notification Previews for All Apps in iOS 11
I couldn't live without seeing previews of certain notifications on my iPhone, but there are definitely some that I'd like to hide, either because they're annoying or because I don't want anyone else to see them. Previously, you could only disable notification previews for Apple apps such as Mail, Messages, Photos, and Wallet, but in iOS 11, you can disable previews for every single app on your iPhone.
News: Augmented World Expo Sets the Example for What an AR Conference Should Be
I have spent a good portion of this year traveling between cities and various emergent technology conferences and events. Most of these events have been really good, but in terms of augmented and mixed reality, the Augmented World Expo, in its eighth year running, definitely stood above the rest.
How To: Save Cellular Data by Using Wi-Fi Only for FaceTime Audio & Video Calls
This may not matter to you if you only FaceTime from your iPhone occasionally, but if you're FaceTiming every day on a limited data plan from your cellular provider, you're going to want to conserve as much data as possible by making sure that you're connected to Wi-Fi only — especially if they are video calls.
News: Tinder's New Update Puts the Emphasis on Looks
If we're being honest, very few people go on Tinder to fall in love with someone's personality. Oftentimes, the only reason they'll look at your bio is to make sure there are no red flags.
News: You Can Now Record Multiple 10 Second Snaps Continuously with New Update
Snapchat is rolling out some awesome new features in their update today. The major update comes just two weeks after the company's premiere of backdrop, snap shopping, and voice clip features. They rolled out two new features this time, Multi-Snaps and the Tint Brush.
News: Google Glass Enterprise Edition Open for Business
Perhaps in tribute to the season premiere of Game of Thrones, Google Glass is demonstrating that what is dead may never die, as Alphabet's X (formerly Googlex) has revealed that the Enterprise Edition of the smart glasses are now available to businesses.
Apple AR: Learn What Your Food Is Made of Using Augmented Reality
With the release of Apple's ARKit comes endless possibilities for education and learning. One of those possibilities is an AR rotating model of our solar system in your room, another is using AR to instantly know the nutritional value of food items.
News: NBA's Sacramento Kings Unveil New Uniforms via Augmented Reality
Though the Golden State Warriors won the crown as the NBA's best team again this season, the Sacramento Kings continue their rule as the sport's technology leader, debuting their new uniforms from Nike through augmented reality today.